Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outcome of medical vs surgical treatment for spinal arachnoid
By Mauler, D A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2017·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Spinal Arachnoid Diverticula: Outcome in 96 Medically or Surgically Treated Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 96 dogs with spinal arachnoid diverticula (SAD), a condition affecting the spinal cord, were treated either with medication or surgery. The dogs that had surgery were generally younger and showed better outcomes, with 82% improving after the procedure, compared to only 30% of those treated with medication. Many dogs treated medically either stayed the same or got worse, while surgical treatment was linked to more significant improvements. This suggests that surgery may be a more effective option for managing SAD in dogs.
People also search for: dog spinal arachnoid diverticula treatment · dog surgery for spinal problems · dog medication for spinal issues
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Little is reported about the role of medical management in the treatment of spinal arachnoid diverticula (SAD) in dogs. OBJECTIVES: To describe the outcome of 96 dogs treated medically or surgically for SAD. ANIMALS: Ninety-six dogs with SAD. METHODS: Retrospective case series. Medical records were searched for spinal arachnoid diverticula and all dogs with information on treatment were included. Outcome was assessed with a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS: Fifty dogs were managed medically and 46 dogs were treated surgically. Dogs that underwent surgery were significantly younger than dogs that received medical management. No other variables, related to clinical presentation, were significantly different between both groups of dogs. The median follow-up time was 16 months (1-90 months) in the medically treated and 23 months (1-94 months) in the surgically treated group. Of the 38 dogs treated surgically with available long-term follow-up, 82% (n = 31) improved, 3% (n = 1) remained stable and 16% (n = 6) deteriorated after surgery. Of the 37 dogs treated medically with available long-term follow-up, 30% (n = 11) improved, 30% (n = 11) remained stable, and 40% (n = 15) deteriorated. Surgical treatment was more often associated with clinical improvement compared to medical management (P = .0002). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The results of this study suggest that surgical treatment might be superior to medical treatment in the management of SAD in dogs. Further studies with standardized patient care are warranted.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28426173/